In a hostile uncertain world only those who dare venture to the unknown can succeed in their endeavours

Tag Archives: radical clerics

I’m republishing the following piece for the readers of this new blog.

Federal Plan to License Clerics an Absurd Measure Bound to Fail

By Amir Butler The Age—January 9, 2006

A brief response: Con George-Kotzabasis

Amir Butler, of the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network, has let the cat out of the bag. He argues in his article, ‘that it would then be an unwelcome and unfortunate intrusion on freedom of religion for the Muslim Advisory Council (set up by the Australian government) to interfere’ with ‘those religious …clerics,’ who ‘continue to enjoy the support of increasing sections of the Muslim community’, and who are selected…on the sectarian tastes of their constituency.’(M.E.) (He is talking here about radical fundamentalist leaders and imams).

He may reproach the intrusions of the Muslim… Council, but he must be, as presumably a moderate Muslim, in full support of the “intrusions” of ASIO, since he is against terrorists, among those radical leaders and imams and in those increasing sectarian sections of the Muslim community, who as followers of the former could be the hotbeds of home-grown terror. The fact however that he is unwilling to do so doesn’t in itself indicate that either “moderate” Muslims are in fear confronting the radicals and their increased number of supporters or are their silent and surreptitious defenders?